Hoping to change my life

[Bonnyweed]

My interest is in tirzepatide. I am looking to get my courage up enough to purchase some tirzepatide powder for reconstitution. I’m a 63 year old woman and a public health nurse. I had my first dose ever of tirzepatide through a 503a compounding pharmacy about 4 weeks ago.
After only one dose, I knew that this was a game changer and that I had the potential of changing my life. I have 100 pounds to lose. For now, I am a FDA refugee. At the moment, I am getting tirzepatide from a 503b compounding pharmacy. I am very aware that tirzepatide compounding pharmacies have a very uncertain future.
Financially, it is unsustainable for me to keep using compounding pharmacies anyway. I’m less than 2 years out from retirement and I need to save every penny I can.
My short term goal is to learn everything I can about what is available on the research market. I’m very accustomed to reconstituting vaccines. I’m dreaming of finding a safe supply that contains what it says it contains and is free from contamination.
I thank you all for your knowledge and I look forward to making some connections.

 

[brentm]

I think you'll find yourself in good company. There's lots of information on the site. I just made my last payment to my telehealth provider and have fully switched to research.

I'm not going to bullshit you. If you want safe, or a neck to wring. You're best bet is to stay with the 503a. You can't really put a price on life, and one of my motivators is that I don't see a whole lot of obese people in their 70s.

Purity tests only tell you part of the picture. There have been some concerns in the community regarding the presence of TFA and LPS in research grade peptides. This along with occasional failed sterility tests. It's unclear if this is cause for concern or just something to be aware of, for the average healthy adult.

So research grade peptides are not without some amount of compromise.

 

[Bonnyweed]

Thanks so much for your kindness and good information. It is appreciated. I definitely have a wariness of injecting substances into my body. I always think of the folks who allowed someone to inject them with cosmetic fillers and then they are forever disfigured or die. My thought is “Who would allow someone to do that to them?”
There is definitely a risk calculation. Pay a few thousand per year to a US compounding pharmacy or use research peptides and have enough money to travel.
The compounding pharmacies are hanging on by a thread and the FDA could shut it all down soon. It will be interesting.

 

[brentm]

Thanks so much for your kindness and good information. It is appreciated. I definitely have a wariness of injecting substances into my body. I always think of the folks who allowed someone to inject them with cosmetic fillers and then they are forever disfigured or die. My thought is “Who would allow someone to do that to them?”
There is definitely a risk calculation. Pay a few thousand per year to a US compounding pharmacy or use research peptides and have enough money to travel.
The compounding pharmacies are hanging on by a thread and the FDA could shut it all down soon. It will be interesting.

You'll have to draw your own conclusions. I hear different information from different sources. Conflicting reports and no one really has a straight answer.

Anecdotal evidence shows that people aren't keeling over and I haven't heard anyone going into anaphylactic shock. I do have an Epi pen in my car. I ordered some antibiotics to have on hand as a precaution. The research grade feels just like the stuff from the compounding pharmacy.

You'll have to draw your own conclusions.

Happy hunting!

 

[scarywood75]

I like thinking that the risk is high, but the chance of it happening is very low.

It's like being bitten by a shark, it does not happen a lot but the chance dying is pretty high.

You can of course minimizing even more the chance of it happening by researching, using good reconstitution standards, etc.

I don't mind shark encounters, but I will want to do that in a cage, same deal for gray market peptides

 

[fyrepep]

I like thinking that the risk is high, but the chance of it happening is very low.

It's like being bitten by a shark, it does not happen a lot but the chance dying is pretty high.

You can of course minimizing even more the chance of it happening by researching, using good reconstitution standards, etc.

I don't mind shark encounters, but I will want to do that in a cage, same deal for gray market peptides

Is it a good omen for me then that I know at least 3 people who were bitten by sharks and are perfectly fine, a few scars not withstanding?

 

[scarywood75]

Is it a good omen for me then that I know at least 3 people who were bitten by sharks and are perfectly fine, a few scars not withstanding?

Yeah maybe my exemple isn't that good lol, still my point stand

 

[brentm]

Yeah maybe my exemple isn't that good lol, still my point stand

What risk?

I don't really worry about the risk of infection. I mean hopefully my arm doesn't fall off, or I don't turn into a Last of Us Clicker.

I think LPS risks are anaphylaxis. I haven't really looked into that one much.

TFA is where things get a little screwy for me. It's a forever chemical when it's in the environment. It clears your system in 12-24 hours. Is the risk of liver damage the same as a couple Tylenol? Or is it worse?

I'd think if it was worse, we'd have heard about it by now.

Good thing is it seems like testing is improving. Hopefully this evolves into a safer experience for everyone.

 

[Vacation4us]

There actually are a few nurses here using grey market peptides, myself included. I have been on big pharma Wegovy and then Zepbound for the last 15 months. Got fearful when I got a letter from insurance with new PA requirements.

It all got smoothed out, but in the meantime I ordered the grey and it’s what I’m currently using. Now I’m stock piling just like everyone else.

The grey feels and works just like big pharma.

You found the right resource here, your skills with reconstitution, sterile technique, etc will serve you well.

 

[Bonnyweed]

Are you willing to share where you purchased? Thanks

 

[scarywood75]

What risk?

I don't really worry about the risk of infection. I mean hopefully my arm doesn't fall off, or I don't turn into a Last of Us Clicker.

I think LPS risks are anaphylaxis. I haven't really looked into that one much.

TFA is where things get a little screwy for me. It's a forever chemical when it's in the environment. It clears your system in 12-24 hours. Is the risk of liver damage the same as a couple Tylenol? Or is it worse?

I'd think if it was worse, we'd have heard about it by now.

Good thing is it seems like testing is improving. Hopefully this evolves into a safer experience for everyone.

Like all the risks that are associated with any other unregulated markets.

It can go south real quick, we only need one bad actor.

Not sure if you followed the crypto fiascos in the last years, but some people lost their life saving with that and ended their life as a solution.

Peptide is quite new and is not yet that popular, I do know that the more popular it gets, the more impact a bad actor can have on us.

So of course we are very unlikely to be affected by a life-threatening situation, but the risk is there and not null.

That's not to say we should worry and stop all of that, of course not, it's just to say that we can't always win it.

 

[brentm]

Are you willing to share where you purchased? Thanks

I am.

I purchased from ASC and SRY. Also purchased domestic via Nexaph.

You'll need some money in crypto or use Alibaba pay which I have not used. Nexaph is domestic and has some controversy. Relating to issues that might be of concern for you are one failed one sterility test but passed others. Controversy seems not to be related to product quality but other business practices. But they do ship domestic and take credit cards. And their prices are mildly competitive with overseas vendors.

I also purchased from Skye Peptides early on.... about 10x the cost of the ones I mentioned above.

Vendor Connection

glp1forum.com

Read some threads... do your own due diligence. start small.

 

[brentm]

Not sure if you followed the crypto fiascos in the last years, but some people lost their life saving with that and ended their life as a solution.

This is unrelated to peptides right?

I've been in crypto since 2012. I've seen some shit. But people lose their life savings in stupid dead stock cults like BBBY.

Nothing new there.

 

[scarywood75]

This is unrelated to peptides right?

I've been in crypto since 2012. I've seen some shit. But people lose their life savings in stupid dead stock cults like BBBY.

Nothing new there.

No, I mean people trusting companies to hold their lifesaving and it ended up being a big ponzy scheme. This is what happened with FTX in 2022 where they lost 10 billions in customer funds. I know some people that invested everything they had with them and I am 2000% at least one of their customer ended their life as a result.

Just a few weeks ago there was a mix up in labelling for people that bought from XYX. Fortunately it was with 2 similar peptides, so not fatal, but you get the point. If you accidentally take vasopressin thinking it's oxytocin, you're good for a ride to the hospital.

So yeah, it's not a null risk and drama will happen, like it did with anything that's not regulated or else prove me wrong. Whether you directly get affected by it is another story tho, it's literally lottery.

 

[brentm]

No, I mean people trusting companies to hold their lifesaving and it ended up being a big ponzy scheme. This is what happened with FTX in 2022 where they lost 10 billions in customer funds. I know some people that invested everything they had with them and I am 2000% at least one of their customer ended their life as a result.

FTX was just a straight up scam. Calling it anything but a scam is being kind.

Just checked their coin. It still trades. $2.10 USD per coin.

FTX Token price today, FTT to USD live price, marketcap and chart | CoinMarketCap

The live FTX Token price today is $1.10 USD with a 24-hour trading volume of $14,863,382.43 USD. We update our FTT to USD price in real-time.

coinmarketcap.com

 

[scarywood75]

FTX was just a straight up scam. Calling it anything but a scam is being kind.

Just checked their coin. It still trades. $2.10 USD per coin.

FTX Token price today, FTT to USD live price, marketcap and chart | CoinMarketCap

The live FTX Token price today is $1.10 USD with a 24-hour trading volume of $14,863,382.43 USD. We update our FTT to USD price in real-time.

coinmarketcap.com

Yeah of course now we know it, but my point is that wasn't known before that, that's why they caught so many people.

Would have it been regulated, do you think it would've happened?

My point is unregulated marks are unpredictable and can be dangerous. You gotta be aware of the risks and decide if you're ok with it. But saying there's no risk that'll ever go south is unrealistic given of everything we know about past unregulated markets.

 

[brentm]

My point is unregulated marks are unpredictable and can be dangerous. You gotta be aware of the risks and decide if you're ok with it. But saying there's no risk that'll ever go south is unrealistic given of everything we know about past unregulated markets.

I agree. Risks are clearly marked. Only invest or spend amounts of money which you can reasonably afford to lose.

Which is why I spread out my buys among multiple vendors.

And I'm not participating in any group buys with single points of failure.

 

[m100568]

If big pharma would price their peptides so regular people could afford it I would buy name brand exclusively. The medicine is life changing and life saving. Only, you can't have it because you don't make enough money. Of course people will look for other options.

 

[Bacchus]

If big pharma would price their peptides so regular people could afford it I would buy name brand exclusively. The medicine is life changing and life saving. Only, you can't have it because you don't make enough money. Of course people will look for other options.

Overhead costs, routines, regulations, r&d, etc. It will never happen

 

[brentm]

Overhead costs, routines, regulations, r&d, etc. It will never happen

If supply were unconstrained, they may make more money lowering prices and selling more of the product. Recapturing lost revenue streams that are currently going overseas. And it sounds like they're making attempts at that by selling vials of the product rather than the pens which likely complicates and constricts the supply chain.

I did some quick math on a popular gray/black vendor "blow out" sale overseas. They disclosed how many "kits" they limited their sale to, and the price per kit. Quick math put it at over a quarter million dollars in just a day or so of sales. So gray market sales are not inconsequential to big pharma's bottom line when you think of the markets as a whole. Same with compounding.

Ultimately, big pharma answers to shareholders. And they'll likely be unable to pivot quickly to capture lost revenue streams before their patents expire and generics come on the market. So they'll just maintain the status quo. Or perhaps lower the price just enough to get some insurance plans to cover it in the final years of the patent life.